The United States and the domino theory of sustainability

The United States with its 300 million citizens is one of the biggest producers of carbon dioxide emissions, and its decisions on energy and climate policy are followed closely. Right now, when the policies at the federal level are quite difficult to predict, we should remember that there is also a strong will to commit to emission goals and promote a cleaner tomorrow in the country.

One of the finest stories has been the adoption of renewable diesel by progressive cities one at a time. The first city to use renewable fuel was the city of Burlington on the East Coast, but the real domino effect began on the opposite coast.

Renewable diesel has been widely available in California since 2012, and the state's governor has forcibly promoted reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in state agencies. San Francisco was the first city in California to adopt a sustainable energy policy, adopting Neste Renewable Diesel fully in its diesel vehicles.

Next, renewable diesel conquered San Francisco's neighbors Walnut Creek, Oakland, Carlsbad, Sacramento County and the local giant corporations Google and UPS. The newest city to join them is San Diego. The pieces are also coming together elsewhere in the country. It has been estimated that, by the end of the year, over 50 U.S. towns and cities will have an active plan to adopt renewable energy sources.

Every one of them has had a number of practical reasons for adopting renewable diesel. Shifting to renewable fuel does not require any changes in the stock, so it is the most cost-effective way to take a giant leap towards the set emission goals, and improving air quality does not sound bad from the point of view of residents, either.

However, the United States would not be the United States if there was not always a touch of branding and the will to lead the development along. As the mayor of San Diego says: "We are leading by example and showing other cities how to make common-sense changes to improve the environment around us."

The decision to adopt renewable fuels has not been made for emotional reasons. Underlying it is solid logic that combines economic and environmental benefits. The change towards more sustainable consumption begins one person, one company, one city and one state at a time.

Kaisa Hietala

EVP, Renewable Products

Related Content

Renewable solutions

Renewable solutions

Neste opens Europe’s first RFID-based self-service store in Finland – purchases can be scanned through a shopping bag